Chidozie Obi-Martin is a teenage football sensation making waves with his prolific goal-scoring abilities. In November 2023, he scored ten goals in a single match for the U16 Arsenal team.
However, while Obi-Martin has made a name for himself in the field, many details about him are still a mystery. So, who is this Arsenal wonder kid?
Below is a detailed look at Chidozie Obi-Martin, from his background, family, football career, and other interesting facts.
He Was Born in Copenhagen, Denmark
Chidozie Obi-Martin (popularly known as Chido Obi) is from Copenhagen, Denmark. He was born on November 29, 2007, in Glostrup, a Danish town in the western suburbs of Copenhagen.
He was born to a Nigerian father, Prince Obi, and a Danish mother. Therefore, he is a Danish national of African descent (the Igbo ethnic group his father belongs to).
He Started Playing Football at the Age of Six
Chido Obi started playing football at age six for the FC Copenhagen Youth Academy. The youngster quickly stood out from his same-aged teammates, marking a promising start to his football career.
According to Anders Lange, the head of FC Copenhagen’s children’s football team, Obi-Martin had impressive skills, so the coaches started playing him in teams above his age group.
However, even playing with older kids would not curtail Obi-Martin’s performance.
When he was 12, he was placed on an older team that had not been posting good results. He scored seven goals for them in his first game, helping them win 10-0.
He Moved to England When He was 14 years
The Danish youngster moved to England at 14 years with his mother and younger brother, Chuck. His mother was moving to London to study nursing.
He briefly attended St Bonaventure’s, a Roman Catholic secondary school in Forest Gate, before joining Arsenal’s Hale End academy.
He Has been a Sensational Wonder Kid at Arsenal
Since moving to Arsenal, Chido Obi has been displaying impressive performance. He was quickly promoted through the ranks in the Arsenal youth system, joining the Under-18s team when he was only 15.
Obi-Martin’s performance has been impressive even when playing in an older age group.
For example, he scored a hat-trick in his first Under-18s match, another hat-trick against Fulham, four goals against Crystal Place, five against West Ham, and Seven against Norwich City.
For the 2023/24 season, the young striker has mostly played for Arsenal’s Under-18 side, scoring 32 goals in 18 appearances.
He has also appeared for Arsenal’s U-17, U-19, and U-21 teams and was even invited by Mikel Arteta to train with the club’s senior team.
He Has Attracted Interest From Several Top Clubs
The youngster is impressing at Arsenal’s youth system, but his future at the club is in doubt. That is because UK laws stipulate that players can only sign a professional contract when they turn 17.
Therefore, Arsenal is having difficulty keeping the youngster, who is only 16. In addition, in some countries like Germany, players can sign contracts when they are as young as 16.
Many Arsenal fans are worried as Obi-Martin’s performance has attracted the interest of several clubs, including Bayern Munich, which can sign him immediately.
FC Copenhagen has also offered the young striker a chance to return to his old club.
However, Obi-Martin’s future at Arsenal might be secured in the coming months, as the club is reportedly in talks with the youngster. In addition, Obi expressed interest in staying with the club stating:
I would like to stay at Arsenal for a long time. It’s a good club, I can feel that I’m getting much better in training. There are a lot of good people and good coaches, so I’m really happy to be there.
He Has Represented both England and Denmark Youth National Teams
Being a Danish citizen of Nigerian origin, Chido Obi is eligible to play for Denmark’s and Nigeria’s national teams.
He is also eligible to play for England because of his youth career in England and Nigeria’s status as a Commonwealth nation.
The Arsenal youngster has represented both Denmark and England’s youth teams on the international scene.
He first played for Denmark’s Under-16 team, making eight appearances and scoring four goals.
The young striker was then called up for England’s Under-16 team, where he made two appearances.
However, in 2023, he switched back to Denmark, appearing 14 times (and scoring ten goals) for the country’s Under-17 team.
Obi-Martin is still eligible to represent the three nations at the senior level, and fans from all three countries hope he will choose them when it comes time for his senior debut.
